Compartmentalized Container

ABSTRACT

A compartmentalized container includes a main body portion and a removable cap. The main body portion of the container includes a central chamber which is surrounded by a plurality of peripheral compartments. The peripheral compartments serve to insulate the central chamber.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates generally to containers with multiple compartments.

2. Description of the Related Art

Containers are often used to retain multiple separate components or items.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides a container which is made up of a main body portion and a removable cap and which is preferably cylindrical in shape. The main body portion features a radially outer cylindrical wall and a radially inner cylindrical wall. The space between the inner cylindrical wall and the outer cylindrical wall includes a plurality of dividers which define a number of peripheral compartments.

The design of the container advantageously provides a significant amount of insulation for the central chamber. The inventors have found that this design is advantageous in that the temperature of items retained within the central chamber is maintained due to the presence of the peripheral compartments which surround the central chamber. Therefore, the central chamber is useful for containing, for example, a cold drink.

The container may be used to contain a collection of useful items which are often used by an individual. For example, motorcycle riders often take trips and may need a collection of common tools for maintenance or repair of the motorcycle. The container of the present invention would be useful for containing such a collection of tools.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a thorough understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference numerals designate like or similar elements throughout the several figures of the drawings and wherein:

FIG. 1 is an exploded isometric view of an exemplary container constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is another exploded isometric view of the container of FIG. 1 .

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional side view of the container of FIGS. 1-2 .

FIG. 4 is an isometric end view of the main body portion of an alternative construction of the container of FIGS. 1-3 .

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIGS. 1-3 depict an exemplary container 10 which is constructed in accordance with the present invention. The container 10 is preferably generally cylindrical in shape and includes a main body portion 12 and a cap 14. The cap 14 is reversibly attachable to the main body portion 12 via threaded connection 16 of a type well known in the art. The threaded connection 16 includes a main body thread 16 a and a cap thread 16 b.

The main body portion 12 features a radially outer cylindrical wall 18 and a bottom surface 20. An inner cylindrical wall 22 defines a central chamber 24. A number of dividers 26 are located between the inner cylindrical wall 22 and the outer cylindrical wall 18 to define a plurality of peripheral compartments 28. In the embodiment depicted in FIGS. 1-3 , the main body thread 16 a is formed on the inner cylindrical wall 22. FIG. 4 depicts an alternative main body portion 12′ wherein the main body threading 16 b is formed on the outer cylindrical wall 18. It will be understood by those of skill in the art that, if the main body thread 16 a is located on the outer cylindrical wall 18, the cap 14 will need to be formed to have the cap thread 16 b in a complementary location so as to threadedly engage the main body thread 16 a.

Preferably, the cap 14 also includes an interior compartment 30 which is accessed by removal of a plug 32. The plug 32 is preferably releasably secured to the cap 14 by a threaded connection 34.

The central chamber 24 is preferably sized so as to retain a drink bottle, such as the 20-oz bottle 36 illustrated in FIG. 3 . The inventors have found that the presence of the peripheral compartments 28 as well as the interior compartment 30 in the cap 14 serve to provide an insulative layer around the central chamber 24 when the cap 14 is attached to the main body portion 12. As a result, the temperature of items retained within the central chamber 24 is better maintained over time. For example, the drink bottle 36 will tend to stay colder longer than if it were retained in a container without insulative surrounding peripheral compartments 28.

The peripheral compartments 28 are well suited to retain a collection of tools or other small items. A sample collection of tools might include a multi-tool, flashlight, zip ties, wire, a screwdriver with multiple, interchangeable bits, and a thin adjustable wrench. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A container comprising: a main body portion having, a bottom surface; a radially outer cylindrical wall; a radially inner cylindrical wall which lies radially within the outer cylindrical wall to provide a space between the inner and outer cylindrical walls, and a plurality of dividers within the space which divided the space into a plurality of peripheral compartments.
 2. The container of claim 1 further comprising: a central chamber which is defined within the inner cylindrical wall.
 3. The container of claim 2 further comprising: a cap which is releasably secured to the main body portion to enclose the central chamber and the plurality of peripheral compartments.
 4. The container of claim 3 wherein: the cap is releasably secured to the main body portion by a threaded connection.
 5. The container of claim 3 wherein: the cap further defines an interior compartment which is accessed by removal of a plug.
 6. The container of claim 5 wherein the plug is releasably secured to the cap by a threaded connection.
 7. The container of claim 4 wherein the threaded connection further comprises: a main body portion thread; and a cap thread.
 8. The container of claim 7 wherein the main body portion thread is formed on the inner cylindrical wall.
 9. The container of claim 7 wherein the main body portion thread is formed on the outer cylindrical wall. 